Oil and Gas Lobbyist Commits Termination Offense

A late Friday story that's sure to be the talk of the political class this weekend–forwarded to us earlier this afternoon, here's a memo that was accidentally sent to every member of the Colorado General Assembly yesterday. From the lobbyist outfit Colorado Legislative Services, LLC, the attachment to the email is supposed to be a new ColoradoBiz Magazine article on compressed natural gas.

Instead, they sent an internal memo prepared for Chesapeake Energy on their legislative agenda in Colorado for the 2013 session. Safe to say, this was not the intended attachment. Excerpts:

The Colorado political landscape is controlled by Democrats. As a moderate Democrat, Governor John Hickenlooper has enjoyed the luxury of having a divided House and Senate to kill the extreme agenda from either side. This year he will have his hands full governing with a Democrat Majority in both the House and Senate. His relationship to the oil & gas industry is strong and he has been a national leader speaking out against the anti-fracturing forces that have invaded Colorado. [Pols emphasis] His administration has sued one Local Government over the issue and will likely join an industry lawsuit over a referendum that banned hydraulic fracturing in that same community…

The Senate numbers remain unchanged. The Democrats are still firmly in charge with a 20 – 15 margin. The Senate President is a moderate but the New Majority Leader is an anti-oil and gas populist. She has aspirations of being Attorney General and possibly Governor and is using the anti-fracturing sentiment to get her wider exposure to the media. [Pols emphasis] The good news is that there are at least three democrats in the Senate that do not want to have a fight over hydraulic fracturing and we have a good chance to sway them on that and other oil and gas issues. On the Republican side, the Minority Leader is a good friend of industry. We have strong supporters in the caucus and they will be able to help spread a pro-industry message. In contrast, the House of Representatives has flipped back to being strongly Democratic with a 37-28 majority. There are 20 new legislators in the House. Many are trying to hold their commitments to the environmentalists to a minimum and wish to do more for the industry. The new Democratic Speaker is a moderate on oil and gas issues and wants to align his position with the Governor wherever possible. The Majority Leader hales from Boulder County, a hot bed of anti-oil and gas sentiment. She is trying to be a moderating influence but has strong proclivities to put local government in control of all oil and gas siting decisions. The new Minority Leader is also a good friend to industry and we also have strong supporters throughout the caucus…

Needless to say, the accidental disclosure of the wealth of…if you will, very candid opinion in this memo could make it hard for Chesapeake Energy to successfully carry out its legislative agenda. Also, such an explicit acknowledgement of Gov. John Hickenlooper's "strong relationship" with the oil and gas industry, though hardly a secret, won't help him represent himself as a fair player on the issue. According to Tim Hoover of the Denver paper, who wrote a blog post about this story a short while ago, Jim Cole of Colorado Legislative Services, LLC met today with Senate Majority Leader Morgan Carroll–the so-called "anti-oil and gas populist" who is "using the anti-fracturing sentiment to get her wider exposure to the media"–and apologized profusely. Cole says that Majority Leader Carroll "handled herself in very professional and forthright manner," which is more than can be said for himself.

Folks, obviously, confidential memos are occasionally drawn up by lobbyists that are less than friendly toward some of the legislators they are charged with persuading. But the breach of decorum involved in sending such a memo to every member of the legislature, including the very legislator the memo disparages, falls somewhere between mind-boggling and the intentional destruction of said lobbying firm by a disgruntled employee. It is truly one of the most asinine and unforgivable things a lobbyist, somebody you're paying to make you look good, could possibly do.

This economy is energy dependent. As soon as liberals can deliver clean green energy at market prices, everyone will be a greenie. Until then, all you can do is coerce people, and interfere with the free market.

The west has been, is and will continue to be a dry region constantly threatened by drought and water shortage in proportion to population. On this basis alone an energy source that requires the expenditure of huge quantities of water that can’t be recycled but are simply depleted for good is not one which makes any sense from a purely practical, not greenie or tree hugger or librul point of view. Pointing this out doesn’t constitute demonizing anyone.

There is no alternative to water. There are alternatives to fossil fuels which can only be accessed by squandering water. If those alternatives cost more up front to develop, the cost is well worth it if pursuing the briefly and temporarily cheaper course wastes what this region’s population and economy can’t be sustained without.

It’s a no brainer. Last I heard, the GOP was being urged to stop being the stupid party. Dems, no matter how moderate, shouldn’t be volunteering to join Rs in their short sighted stupidity.

Screw tutorials. The old site was fun for us illiterates because so much stuff was so easy. If the fix is just giving us stuff to study I’ll stick with my new, simpler level of participation.

I really miss being able to click on “comments” and instantly see who’s responded to me as far back as I care to look. It made real conversations easy. Bit that’s the operative word for me. From here on out if it isn’t easy, screw it. I was never crazy about school to begin with. Not going back for a blog.

Only a totally fucking meatball like you could take an internal Oil & Gas memo and use it to anoint victimhood status on our governor all the while blaming people who like to breath clean air. I guess that isn’t an important issue for someone like you who has his head stuck up his ass most of the time and only smells his own fumes. It is obvious that Hickenlooper likes the O&G industry and has no interest in building on Ritter’s New Energy Economy initiatives. If criticism of Hickenlooper from environmentalists regarding his love affair with Oil & Gas is demonizing to you then we absolutely should be doing more of it.

It is certainly a good thing to have Toto reveal the man behind the curtain, but did we actually learn anything new? What is the old saw about the scorpion: “That’s what scorpions DO.”

I mean, we know that the oil and gas industry lobbies for more oil and gas development and opposes alternative energy. We know that Exxon has more money than god and uses it to fund anti-science, anti-climate warming studies. We know that the Republican Party is in the pocket of big business and especially big oil.

no – we don’t despise the Gov. Despite your twisted spin
We elected him See the difference?

All alert electors (voters) and citizens want our elected officials to do and be things they do not or are not. So? It's only the childish and foolish who allow that difference and desire to become despisement. I know that's how you think (at least when you are here on CoPols) but it is not that …typical.

This is something anyone who works for clean air and water knows all too well.

“His relationship to the oil & gas industry is strong and he has been a national leader speaking out against the anti-fracturing forces that have invaded Colorado.”

Frackenlooper likes to pretend he is a centrist and a moderate….but when it comes to oil and gas, he is anything but moderate and now his buddy Jim Cole has said what we have all known about “oily John”…he is an oil and gas lobbyist himself…completely sold out. Get busy AGOP..you should recruit Frackenlooper to join your GOP…the Gas and Oil Party. He is a natural for it..

It is mostly just the ad valorum credit. Our state severance tax RATE is fairly high…but it is phony because of this statutory handout they get every year. It reduces the EFFECTIVE rate to 2% or less. They get no such break anywhere else in the nation…just here.

Actually I figured it out…you’re using a .tif image, and it’s broken on a lot of browsers including my tablet. It works on my desktop PC though. You should convert that to jpeg for better compatibility. The Guvs might want to set the avatars to require gif or jpeg to prevent this.

If only Colorado could — a la Alaska — claw back its mineral rights for the public good. I know it’s impossible, but I’d sure like to see some foolhardy group push it. At least it would give give Arapagoop and other old-style corporatists an actual excuse to wallow in their victimhood.

rarely comment here, but i am struck that this may be the perfect opportunity to let legislators know that it is time to get serious about Colorado’s role in responding to climate change; i plan to personally let my representative (Ferrandino) know that i think the time moderate behavior toward fossil fuels is past

Yep, it’s a very good time. Speaker Ferrandino is mine too. (We must be neighbors.) As speaker, he definitely needs to hear from us. Especially to BC’s point: ” …Dems, no matter how moderate, shouldnвЂ™t be volunteering to join Rs in their short sighted stupidity.”

Don’t know, actually, how “moderate” Ferrandino is on the O&G issues. He does like to build consensus. But he’s a fighter for what he believes in.

This Cole guy sure has his tit in a ringer, but I’ve heard other things about this firm too. Specifically one of his partners enjoys sexual relations with certain GOP members. I’m not saying the partner is exclusive with GOPers, but the partner apparently has a history.

In light of this, it seems the firm’s website pitch really does feature truth in advertising:

We work the entire legislature. We target activities to members of the entire General Assembly. Issues rarely are decided on a strict party-line vote. We spend time developing relationships that cross party boundaries and present issues in the way individual legislators can “hear” it.

We use position papers extensively. Individuals or associations sometimes hand out fact sheets or “write ups” on particular issues at the state capitol. We have a reputation for doing position papers that explain succinctly the bill, its background and need, and whether we are supporting, opposing or amending it. The act of drafting a position paper imposes a discipline on us as we seek to distill information and “get our head around an issue.” The final document facilitates communication between members of the legislature and our client.

We can take the heat. Many lobbyists fold when an issue becomes nasty or the subject matter is unpleasant. We stand in there and fight. We thrive on pressure and deliver a good result for our clients, often under difficult conditions.

"The good news is that there are at least three democrats in the Senate that do not want to have a fight over hydraulic fracturing and we have a good chance to sway them on that and other oil and gas issues."